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Introduction

Like food and shelter, clothing is a basic human need. One reason people first wore clothing was for protection. Roughly fashioned garments protected them from animal bites, scratches, and burns. They also kept them warm and dry.

People still wear protective clothing for some types of work and play. The construction worker’s hard hat, the chemist’s rubber gloves, and the football player’s shoulder pads give protection against injury. The average person may not need special clothing to keep him from being hurt, but most people do need clothing such as heavy coats, waterproof overshoes, and sun hats for protection against the weather.

Climate affects the amount and types of clothing that people wear. The inhabitants of hot, humid African countries may wear as little clothing as possible. If the flow of air to their skins is unhindered, perspiration moisture evaporates more rapidly. This helps dispose of body heat.

Many Arabs live in a climate that is hot but dry. Unlike the people of tropical Africa, they wear clothing that covers them from head to toe. Their loose white wool robes reflect the sun’s rays and shield them from the hot winds. Such garments also provide insulation against the nighttime cold.

Eskimos wear two layers of clothing, usually sealskin or caribou furs. The inner layer consists of undergarments and socks. The hairy side of Eskimo undergarments is worn against the skin. Eskimo outer garments—trousers, a hooded parka, mittens, and boots—are worn with the hairy side out.

People who live in temperate climates may vary their clothing with the seasons. The clothes they wear in summer are usually loosely woven and light in weight. In winter they may wear extra layers of clothing to hold in the warmth of their bodies. They may also wear a coat of closely woven cloth, leather, or fur to insulate them against the cold. (See alsodress.)

History

From the Stone Age to the 18th century, all fabrication of clothing was done by hand. Spinning and weaving machines that could be operated with the foot or with water power were developed in the latter period. In the mid-1800s sewing machines were introduced. For decades after their invention, however, sewing machines were used only for simple seaming; other sewing needed to finish a garment was still done by hand.

As with sewing, the cutting of cloth was done by hand until the second half of the 19th century. In 1860 John Barran of Leeds, England, invented a band-knife machine that could cut several thicknesses of cloth at the same time. Other machines, including ones that spread layers of fabric ready for cutting, buttonhole machines and machines for sewing buttons, also came into use near the end of the century. Despite these technological advances, professionally handmade garments remained far superior to those assembled with machines.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. USZ62-19966)

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Most people who worked in the clothing industry before the late 19th century were self-employed. With the invention of the sewing machine, some tailors and dressmakers expanded their operations to become factories. Some work was also contracted out to seamstresses and others who worked at home. Working conditions in most of the factories and home workshops were dismal, and the workers were poorly paid. In the early 20th century, the term sweatshop came to be used to describe these factories and workshops. At this time, garment workers began to form unions in an effort to secure better pay and working conditions.

During the first half of the 20th century the clothing industry was mainly concentrated in the United States and the United Kingdom, where mass-produced clothing had gradually gained acceptance. By the middle of the century, apparel industries were beginning to expand in other countries, including Belgium, The Netherlands, the Scandinavian countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Africa. This expansion continued in the 1960s. By this time, the clothing industries in most countries of Europe and North and South America, along with those of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Israel, could meet all the apparel needs of their respective populations. Clothing exports increased in many countries. Asian countries saw a tremendous increase in their level of productivity and exports of clothing in the late 20th century. South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were among the leading exporters of apparel. The recent growth of the clothing industries in Asia and in some developing countries has been fueled in part by increasing U.S. imports and by the shifting of many U.S. manufacturing operations to other countries.

Technological advances had a significant impact on the manufacture of clothing in the late 20th century. Most of these advances involved computers, which are now used at every stage of clothing production. In factories with a high level of automation, information about the garment being made can be transmitted to computers aiding in the layout of pattern pieces on cloth and to cutting and sewing machines that can be programmed to perform the required functions. Other technological advances have also increased the speed and efficiency of apparel machinery. For example, laser cutting machines can cut out every piece of a garment in a single run and can be programmed in advance to cut hundreds of pieces in different standardized sizes. Despite such advances, because of the expense involved in equipping a computer-integrated factory, the clothing industries in many countries still rely heavily on manual labor and basic cutting and sewing technology.

Design and Materials

Dress Design

Like architecture, interior design, and sculpture, dress design is a visual art that deals with three-dimensional forms. Dress designing is a specialized, competitive, and somewhat glamorous field. The designer must be able to create clothing that is both fashionable and functional. The finished garment has to fit the body of the wearer, be suitable for certain activities, and be relatively durable. (See alsoarts, the; fashion.)

Dress design was a profession as early as the 1600s. One of the first well-known designers was Rose Bertin, a French milliner who served Marie Antoinette. She encouraged the queen’s interest in dress fashions and designed her gowns. During the French Revolution Mademoiselle Bertin fled to England, where she continued to influence women’s fashions.

Women dominated dress design until the last half of the 19th century. The first man to make a name in dress design was Charles Frederick Worth, an English tailor who became the couturier, or designer, of the empress Eugénie, consort of Napoleon III. In 1858 he opened a salon, or fashion house, in Paris, France. His clients included not only Eugénie and her court but also well-known actresses and other women who could afford his services. Worth was the first designer to show dresses made of fabrics of his own choosing. Previously, dressmakers had used fabrics provided by their patrons. He was also the first to display his designs on live mannequins, or models.

Largely because of Worth, dress design became one of France’s most important industries. In 1868 he helped found the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Today this trade association works to preserve France’s dominance in the field of dress design. It sets the dates for the showing of each new fashion collection, usually in January and July, and directs a school that trains young people for careers in the French couture, or fashion, houses.

The Dress Designer Today

The position, degree of influence, and fame of the modern dress designer depends largely on where he lives and works. In Paris the system of haute couture, or high fashion, is dominated by a relatively small group of fashion houses, many of them founded by such famous designers of the 20th century as Christian Dior, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, and Yves St. Laurent.

People from all over the world attend the Paris showings. The audiences are made up of manufacturers’ representatives, buyers from retail stores, and private customers. Private customers and retail buyers are charged much less for a particular design than is the manufacturer who plans to produce it on a large scale and sell copies at a lower price.

Until the mid-1960s French designers did not produce ready-to-wear apparel. Instead, each customer selected one of the new designs and chose a fabric for it. The dress was then made to her measurements at the designer’s fashion house. By the late 1960s, however, most Paris designers had begun to show ready-to-wear apparel in boutiques, or small specialty shops, in addition to their couture collections.

Until World War II most American dress designers worked anonymously in garment factories. During that war, when Paris was occupied by German troops, French designers’ influence on fashion was weakened, and American designers began to achieve recognition. Beginning in 1943, Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards were given to influential designers such as Norman Norell and Geoffrey Beene. Some designers—for example, Perry Ellis and Ralph Lauren—won citations for both women’s fashion and menswear. After similar awards were established by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1985, the Coty awards were ended.

Elements of Dress Design

Of the many elements of dress design—including texture, line, and form—that of color is perhaps the most complex. Three characteristics—hue, value, and saturation—help identify a color. Hue locates the color in its position on the spectrum. Blue and orange are both hues. Value refers to the amount of light a color reflects. Pink and crimson are two values of the hue red. Saturation describes the degree of purity of a color. Lemon yellow, for example, is purer than beige. (See alsocolor.)

Color has a great effect on the other elements in dress design. Two colors with different values create a definite line if placed next to each other. For that reason, a designer who wants to call attention to the lines of a navy-blue blazer might trim the lapels in white. Two intense colors of opposite hues can produce an unpleasant vibrating sensation. This might make it difficult to focus the eyes on a herringbone-patterned fabric of pink and chartreuse.

Colors can also affect the wearer’s complexion. A magenta worn next to the face might make the skin appear greenish, while a blue green might give it a rosy cast. Colors, like clothing styles, go in and out of fashion. Red, white, and blue may be popular one season—only to be replaced by plum, moss green, and clay a few months later. There is usually enough variety in fashionable colors, however, to allow almost everyone to choose a color that he or she likes and that is flattering.

Texture refers to both the look and feel of a fabric. Fabrics can be rated by an almost infinite number of textural qualities. For example, a fabric can be either crisp or limp, heavy or light, nubby or smooth, dull or shiny. A fabric’s texture determines many things about a garment, such as its resistance to wear, its ability to hold a given shape, and how much light it will reflect. Many textures may be used in a single costume. What textures are compatible is largely a matter of prevailing fashions.

Line can be created in a variety of ways. The use of a fabric with a pattern, contrasting trim, or two colors with different values can emphasize or define lines. Some popular modern dresses have used both trim and color to create horizontal and vertical lines. The length, fullness, and cut of a dress are also important in determining line.

The lines of a dress outline its form, or shape. Three basic forms are involved in dress design—the shape of the body, the shape of the dress, and the shape of the individual parts of the dress. In the course of time, dress designs have often superimposed geometric forms upon the natural shape of the body. During the 19th century, for example, corsets and bustles forced the body to conform with the swaybacked, S-shaped dress in fashion.

Each of the elements in dress design is strongly related to the others. The process of dress design requires a knowledge of all of these elements or at least the ability to use them effectively.

Raw Materials

Natural Materials

The factories that produce finished clothing are only the last link in a long chain. Every item of clothing that people wear originates as part of a plant, as an animal’s skin, or as a chemical substance. The raw materials used in clothing are found under many different types of geographic conditions. That is why most nations of the world must import at least some clothing materials from other nations.

Two plants, cotton and flax, are grown primarily for use in manufacturing cloth. The world’s cotton supply is produced primarily by China, the United States, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Australia, Mexico, and The Sudan (seecotton). Poland and Romania are leading nations in growing flax for fiber. Belgium, France, and The Netherlands produce fiber of exceptionally fine quality (seeflax). Rayon, nylon, and acetate are man-made, or synthetic, fibers produced from various plant fibers (seefiber, man-made).

The two most important animal fibers used to make cloth are wool and silk. Wool comes from the coats of many animals. The raising of sheep for wool is an important industry in many countries around the world. Other important wool-producing animals are goats, llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. Australia and New Zealand are among the leading producers of fine wool, and India leads in the production of the coarser wools known as carpet wools (seewool).

China, Japan, and South Korea produce much of the world’s raw silk. These countries all grow mulberry bushes, the leaves of which are the mainstay of silkworms. Silk production requires many hours of tedious work, because the silk filaments that make up the silkworm’s cocoon are unwound, or reeled, by hand. While new technologies have been developed to automate the rearing of silkworms, reeling, and other steps in the production of silk, their use is not yet widespread. (See alsosilk; fiber, natural.)

Not all of the raw materials used in clothing are made into cloth. Some articles of clothing are made from leather, fur, or rubber. Leather is widely used in making shoes and is also made into purses, belts, gloves, and other articles of clothing.

Leather is made from the skins of many different animals. These include cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, alligators, and snakes. Most of the animals that supply leather are raised on ranches. Leather comes from all parts of the world. North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia all produce leather. (See alsoleather.)

The skins of many animals have been made into coats and fur pieces—a practice deplored by animal rights activists (seeanimal rights). Originally these animals were trapped or hunted (seetrapping). Among the principal fur-bearing animals now raised on ranches are foxes and minks. Because so many animals prized for their furs are in danger of extinction, laws have been enacted to ban the sale of clothing made from their skins. The endangered list includes the leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, chinchilla, and several species of seals and otters. (See alsofurs.)

Synthetic Materials

The production of man-made fibers has been growing rapidly in nearly every country. Synthetic fibers were first developed as substitutes for rare and costly natural fibers. Rayon, the first synthetic fiber, was invented in 1884. It was followed by nylon, a silk substitute made from coal, air, and water. The use of nylon in hosiery made sheer stockings available to great numbers of women. (See alsonylon.)

Synthetic fibers are now used in nearly every type of clothing, and they represent the fastest-growing sector in textile production. They offer some important advantages over natural fibers. Clothing made from synthetic materials are less likely to shrink during cleaning, retain their color better, and often require little or no ironing. Synthetic fibers like spandex are often added to clothing made with natural fibers to improve the garment’s fit, comfort, and shape retention.

The clothing industry has made increasing use of plastics. Some upper shoe material used in the manufacture of footwear is made from plastic substitutes for leather. Molded plastics and synthetic rubber, long used in the manufacture of athletic shoes, are now also widely used to make the soles and heels of both casual and dress shoes. Plastics are also used as textile coatings, from which such garments as raincoats are made.

Although synthetic rubber is more commonly used in place of the natural product in garments today, natural rubber is still popular for shoes and raincoats. The source of natural rubber is a milky liquid known as latex, which flows from rubber trees when the bark is cut. The principal sources of natural rubber include Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The latex is converted into rubber in factories. (See alsorubber.)

Nanotechnology, the manipulation of materials on an atomic or molecular scale, is used to create what are called performance fabrics. These fabrics, both natural and synthetic, are altered at the molecular level in ways that make them stain-resistant, water-resistant, or antimicrobial. (See alsofiber, man-made.)

Finished Materials

Cloth is used for more garments than any other material. There are three basic types of finished cloth—woven, knitted, and nonwoven. Woven cloth is the most widely used, but it is easier to produce a patterned cloth by knitting. The fibers of nonwoven cloth are bonded to a backing or locked together. Nonwoven fabrics may be created by using heat, mechanical energy, or chemicals.

The companies that produce finished cloth make up the textile industry (seetextile). Textiles made in the United States—mainly in the South—are exported for clothing manufacture in many other nations. (Many garments are also made in the United States from materials imported from other countries.)

Japan and The Netherlands also have large textile industries and sizable foreign markets. Most of the textiles that France produces are sold within the country. France neither imports nor exports much cloth. Textile industries have been established in a number of developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Just as fibers are woven into finished cloth before garments can be made from them, so other materials must also be processed before they can be made into clothing. Animal skins are treated by a chemical process called tanning to make them soft and pliable. Furs may be let out, or cut into small pieces and resewn into a long, narrow strip. Latex must be converted into finished rubber.

The Manufacture of Clothing

The Clothing Industry in the United States

California leads all states in apparel manufacturing. The value of its annual clothing production stands at more than 13 billion dollars. Los Angeles and San Francisco are the state’s main manufacturing centers. New York and Texas are the second and third largest manufacturers of clothing. There are a number of reasons that California has come to dominate the U.S. apparel industry. One of the most important reasons for this dominance is that the state has a large supply of labor, one that includes many immigrants, who form a large proportion of the state’s apparel workforce. California is also known for producing the casual styles that have been preferred by U.S. consumers since the 1960s. Because of its location, the state is a leading exporter of clothing. Its annual apparel exports total more than 1 billion dollars.

All the people who help produce finished clothing are part of the apparel industry. In the United States, this industry is composed of about 14,000 companies and employs roughly 350,000 people. More than half of the companies in the U.S. apparel industry have fewer than 20 employees. The majority of employees in the industry, however, work for companies that employ more than 50 people. The trend is toward larger companies, as increasing numbers of smaller firms merge to cut costs. One reason most apparel companies are small is that clothing cannot be produced on a mass scale like automobiles or appliances. This is because people do not like to wear clothes that are exactly like those that other people are wearing. Moreover, clothing fashions change quickly. The number of garments that can be made in one style is therefore limited.

The Clothing Industry in Other Nations

The apparel industries in other nations grew dramatically in the second half of the 20th century. In 2000 China was the world’s leading exporter of apparel, followed by Hong Kong SAR, the United States, Mexico, and Turkey. Clothing is an important export in many developing countries, accounting for more than 10 percent of the total exports of Bangladesh, Mauritius, the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Pakistan, Romania, Vietnam, and India. The United States, the European Union, and Japan are the leading importers of apparel.

Paris is still considered by many to be the world’s leading center for fashionable clothing. Clothing manufacturers from many countries go to Paris to see and to buy the new garments that are shown there each season.

Italy has been an important center for high fashion since the 1970s. Its salons are located in Rome, Florence, and Milan. The country is also known for its fine knitwear, leather shoes, and gloves.

Great Britain is famous for its production of fine outerwear and well-tailored woolen clothing. Men travel from all over the world to have suits custom-made by the tailors of Savile Row in London.

How Clothing Is Made

Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock

Maria Teijeiro—Photodisc/Thinkstock

Many steps are involved in producing an article of clothing. Some of these steps may be taken even before the processed material reaches the clothing factory. First a designer makes a sketch of the garment. Computer-assisted design (CAD) software is often used to make such sketches. The software creates detailed designs based on the designer’s drawing, and it also allows the designer to store designs and color information that can be used again or changed later. CAD software also aids in the creation of pattern pieces, from which a sample of the garment is made up. If the style is approved, patternmakers then remake the pattern in several different sizes through a process called grading, which has also been made much easier through the use of computer software.

The pieces of a pattern are placed atop layers of cloth for cutting in an arrangement called a layout. A worker called a marker lays out the pattern pieces in a way that minimizes wasted fabric. Although the marker’s work was once done by eye, computers are now used to determine the most efficient layout.

In many factories, a cutter uses an electric knife or cutting machine to cut out the pieces according to the layout. In an increasing number of factories, however, markers transmit layouts electronically to computer-controlled cutting machines.

After they have been cut, all the pieces of a garment are tied together according to size and passed on to sewing machine operators for assembly. Sewing tasks are usually specialized; thus, many different operators may work on a garment before it is completed.

Finished items of clothing are pressed, tagged, inspected, and packaged. In some pressing machines, the amount of steam and pressure applied to the garment is determined by a computer. After garments have been pressed, they are inspected and tested to ensure quality. Then they are shipped to the stores that will sell them.

Where Clothing Is Sold

Clothing is sold in about 150,000 stores in the United States. Nearly all of these stores fall into six types—department, variety, discount, chain, mail-order, and specialty.

Department stores often feature several clothing departments in addition to departments that sell other merchandise. Variety stores carry a wide assortment of items that usually cost no more than a few dollars. These stores stock low-priced ready-to-wear clothing. Discount stores also offer low-priced clothing. Clothing is sometimes also sold in supermarkets and drugstores.

Chain stores are situated in nearly every city of the United States. A chain store that carries shoes or clothing is usually one of many stores owned by the same company.

Mail-order houses developed when most people could not shop in stores without traveling long distances. People order clothing from mail-order companies after seeing pictures of it in a catalog or on an Internet Web site. The store sends the clothing to the customer by mail.

Specialty stores generally carry only one line of merchandise. They may even carry only one type of clothing, such as hosiery or men’s ties. Specialty stores may be small shops within large department stores or small, freestanding shops called boutiques.

The People Who Produce and Sell Clothing

Millions of people work to provide the materials and services that result in finished garments. Each person involved in producing or selling clothing adds to the value of the clothing through his work.

Farmers and ranchers are sources of clothing materials. They raise cotton, wool, flax, and silk as well as the animals whose skins furnish leather. The rubber trees that yield latex are often cultivated on plantations. Fur farmers raise many of the animals whose pelts are used to make fur coats and other fur products.

Some workers obtain natural products for clothing without raising them. These workers include fur trappers, who catch wild animals; loggers, who chop down the trees of forests; and miners, who extract coal from the earth.

Chemists also play an important part in providing materials for clothing. Synthetic fibers and substitutes for rubber were developed by chemists. In addition to creating new materials, chemists also develop dyes, starches, and other materials that make clothing look better and wear longer.

Manufacturing the textiles used to make clothing involves many different jobs. Wool, cotton, flax, and silk must be cleaned by hand or by machine and the fibers prepared for spinning. People must operate the machines that spin fibers into yarn. Many workers run looms and knitting machines to weave or knit the yarn into cloth. Others dye yarn or cloth. Some people operate machines that shrink cloth or add a finish for beauty or durability.

Workers in tanning factories treat animal skins to make them into leather. Those in rubber factories manufacture rubber from latex. They may also make synthetic rubber. Workers in fur factories process and dye furs to make them suitable for garments.

Most of the people who produce finished clothing are called garmentworkers. They include cutters, sewers, designers, patternmakers, and pressers. Shoemakers and hatmakers also produce finished articles of clothing.

In addition to the workers who actually handle clothing materials and garments, office workers and executives are needed in clothing factories. There are also mechanics to look after the machines.

Clothing could not be made and sold today without transportation workers. They run the trucks, railroads, ships, and airplanes that carry raw materials to the textile and other factories. They transport processed materials to garment factories. Finally, they take the finished garments to retail stores.

Advertising is used to sell clothing and the materials of clothing. Producers of yarn, textiles, dyes, chemicals, and clothing machinery advertise to others in the industry. Garment factories use advertising to interest consumers in their products. Retail stores advertise to attract the public. Writers and artists produce clothing advertisements that are printed in newspapers and magazines. Clothing advertisements are also prepared for radio and television programs.

Of all the people involved in producing clothing, the clerk in the store may be the only person most purchasers see. The payment that the clerk takes for the clothes actually includes many other payments. The store may have bought the clothes from a garment factory. The garment factory bought the materials for the clothes from another factory. That factory probably bought raw materials from the farmer, miner, hunter, or chemist. At each stage, transportation workers and advertising people may have been needed. The final price of the clothing includes payments to all of these workers for the services and materials that they provided.

The Importance of Clothing Labels

Payment for clothing does not end when a garment is bought. As long as it is worn, it must be kept clean and in good repair. People find that it is easier to care for a garment when they know exactly what it is made of.

It is often hard to identify clothing materials. Some synthetic fibers look and feel very much like natural materials but require different care. A cotton shirt can be pressed with a very hot iron, but a synthetic shirt very much like it in appearance might melt if it were ironed at the same temperature.

Labels on clothing—normally sewn right onto the garment—contain valuable information to guide the consumer in purchase, wear, and care. By law they are required to list the percentage of each fiber contained in the materials. Shoes must have labels that tell whether imitation leather has been used or whether one kind of leather—calf, for example—has been treated to look like another kind, such as alligator. Labels on furs tell what animal each fur was taken from, the country it came from, and whether the fur was dyed or bleached.

Federal Trade Commission regulations also provide that most textile garments and piece goods sold in the United States must bear permanent-care instructions on their labels. These labels must tell how to wash, iron, dry, bleach, or dry-clean an article, as well as warn against care procedures that might damage the article.

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